CRASH BANDICOOT N. SANE TRILOGY
Jen Simpkins’ final hands-on with the ‘remaster plus’
Our final pre-release assessment of the russet marsupial’s PS4 revamp.
We only review finished games, so in Viewpoint we go hands-on with near-final code of a game that has just missed our review deadline. Jen Simpkins picked up the pad for a last play of Crash ahead of release, and these are her final pre-release impressions.
The second I walk into the demo room, I’m sold all over again. Waiting for me on the big screen is my old pal Crash Bandicoot, all lovingly-rendered orange fur and charm. He digs around in the pockets of his jorts, pulls out a yo-yo, and gets stuck into some tricks. He’s delightful, but it’s not my childhood friend I’m gawping at: it’s what’s behind him. Vicarious Visions’‘ remaster plus’ of the first three Crash Bandicoot games (originally developed by Naughty Dog) is on shelves as I write this, but review code didn’t arrive in time to make our deadline. Branded Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy and wrapped up in one convenient package, the 3D platforming games of PlayStation legend have never looked better. They still hold up brilliantly, too, as I discover in my final hands-on – playing three levels from none other than Crash Bandicoot: Warped.
Yep, it’s the Warp Room and the time-travelling portal behind Crash that’s giving me goosepimples. The third outing is widely considered the best of the lot. It’s also one of the first games I ever played on PS1. I imagine most fans will feel the way I feel when I finally sit down to hop back into this one: five, ten, or 20 years old all over again.
But as I fire up medieval monster level Double Header, it becomes clear that the N. Sane Trilogy has more to trade on than nostalgia. Warped has received the same passionate attention to detail from the Vicarious devs as the first game, which I played at last year’s PlayStation Experience. Crash’s fur glistens in the rain (once thin, jagged white lines, now beautiful droplets streaking down the screen). The tricky level’s both familiar and new: the twin-headed lab assistants I recognise, but Vicarious has replaced their deadly clubs with giant cooked turkeys. I remember they can’t be defeated with Crash’s spin move, so I pull out the Fruit Bazooka on p and fell the brutes by squeezing i (a subtle, but more natural-feeling, improvement from the original e). Bounce on his belly; onto the next crate; hoover up wumpa fruit; hop a gap; bodyslam a frog. My muscle memory kicks in, and the momentum’s flowing.
HOG WILD
As a lifelong Crash nut, I’ve got an advantage in what is still a tough platformer. The 3D kind is always a touch dicey to navigate. Judging the depth of your jumps correctly in this kind of game can be frustrating, and the controls are classic Crash – sensitive, finicky. Vicarious, however, has done a remarkable job of preserving the marsupial’s weighty yet gymnastic movement. Controls require precision, but not so much as to hamper the fun of mid-air splits and slides. For all that Crash might look like a kid-friendly caper, it’s hiding a diamond core that’ll have speed-runners shaking.
While motorcycle level Orange Asphalt isn’t the most visually arresting stage to play (a brown road is a brown road, even in 4K), it’s famed for being one of the most challenging. Simply finishing is easy – but even with the use of speed-- boosting wheelies, I still get beaten to first place by Neo Cortex’s goons.
Fortunately, it’s a happier result for me in the Gone Tomorrow level – but only after a considerable amount of blood, sweat, and swears. It’s the sort of environment where the ‘remaster plus’ work shines: futuristic neon accents; reflection tech; the bandicoot fizzling gently into a pile of ash as I accidentally run him into death lasers. But the platforming pedigree shines too, as I puzzle out how to get all the wumpa fruit from the boxes around TNT crates. I die more times than I’ll admit on the final stretch, but none of my failures ever feel like the fault of the controls. It proves that, with a little expert care and attention, a nearly 20-year-old game can still feel like a fresh challenge.
Ultimately, it’s the same Crash. There are no significant variations, merely small quality-of-life improvements. But my goodness, the remastered games feel perfectly at home in 2017 – and it’s so good to see the old ’coot back again.
VIEWPOINT
“DON’T EXPECT AN ENTIRELY NEW SET OF GAMES – BUT WHETHER YOU’RE A DIE-HARD FAN OR JUST WANT A TASTE OF PURE PLAYSTATION HISTORY, THIS’LL BE AN ESSENTIAL BUY.”
We’ll have our full review of Crash’s big comeback in our next issue, out 1 August.